Radiator of the automobile type



E. P. WOLF.

RADIATOR OF THE AUTOMOBILE TYPE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-5, 1917.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR P. WOLF, OF RAGINE, VJISGO'NSIN, ASSIGNOR TO PERFEX RADIATOR COMPANY OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

RADIATOR OF LI-IE AUTOMOBILE TYPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

Application filed November 5, 1917. Serial No. 200,248.

T 0 all fijfh077'l- 1' 6 may concem Be it known that I, EDGAR P. l/VOLF, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Racine in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Radiators of the Automobile Type of which the following is a full, clear. concise... and exact description, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of? this specification.

My invention relates to radiators of the automobile type and particularly relates to means for increasingthe rate of heat transfer between the water in the radiator and the air passing through the same.

For automobile radiators, the most efiicieut type of construction are those which have transverse openings from front to rear -these openings being surrounded more or less by water as in the cellular type, orin the zigzag vertical tube type.- I. have found in practice that the air in the transverse openings or tubes often passes through, becoming heated only on the outside. I have made experiments to determine whether this loss; is of consequence.

I have found that the efficiency or" the radiator can be considerably improved by employing means for breaking up the straight flow of air by suitable bafiie members. i

My invention aims to provide an improved radiator structure of increased efiiciency characterized by the use of battles in. the transverse air passages, for breaking up the direct air flow from front to rear so as to secure greater heat transfer between the side walls of the passages and the airpassing through them.

In a particular construction in which I have embodied the invention I employ vertical water tubes with lateral corrugations toii'niing air passages. In these air passages I place battles tor giving the air a swirling motion, both to break up the direct current and also to increase the length of the path of travel. These bafiles may be constructed oitwisted strips, slitted from a single sheet of: metal or in the preferred torm,they consist of wings or fins shaped like propellerblades, which are struck up from a sheet of metal.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with one manner of constructing and using invention I shall now describe in detail a particular embodiment of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form apart of the present specification.

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 1l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of one of the radiator tubes with the battle plate and bafile members in place;

Figure 3 is a' similar view of a modificatron;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed view of a modified form of bafiie plate with baffle members or fins struck up from the side edges of the metal;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on' the line of Figure 4 and showing the baffle plates in place; between two adjacent tubes;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modification, similar to that shown in Figure 4:; and

Figure 7 is the section taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 6 and showingthe baffle plates in pliice. between two adjacent tubes.

In Figure l, the front ends of the water tubes 1 and 2 are shown in section. These tubes are complementary to each other, being formed with rounded depressions 3 and flattened projections 4 on the sides which face the complementary tube. Each tube is made up of an outer plate 5 and an inner plate 6, suitably fastened together at their edges to form a closed tube and covered at the front and rear by open lattice work plates 7 which cover the entire front and rear -face of the radiator. The tubes are assembled with the rounded portions 3 registering with each other to form the round holes or air passages 8, and between adjacent groups of tubes the diamond-shaped openings 9 result. The outer portions of the rounded depressions 3 are slightly flared as shown at 10, to secure greater intake openings. and to improve the appearance of the radiator.

The water channels in the tubes formed between the side walls 5 and 6 are zigzag in shape and thereby provide great superficial cooling area and a high ratio of cooling surface to water contents. These water passages are connected at their upper end to a common header or water chamber and likewise they are connected at their lower ends to a suitable'header or water chamber.

1 time 4' of, adjacent tubes.

operation.

Asuitable casing, is well understood by casing is no part of the present invention,

and as these features are wellunderstood by those skilled in the art, no detailed de-' scription of the same is necessary.

In order to break up the flow of air through the air channels, or passageways 8, I provide'ibaflie members of such shape as to throw the air outward from the center by centrifugal action,these bafiie members having finsof suitable form to effect this action. I i As shown in Figure 2, I provide a baflie plate 12 which has the fingers, or fins 18, slitted therefrom at such points that these fingers or fins may lie within the openings 8. The plate 12 is continuous along the contiguous sides of the water tubes, being secures at the flattened projecting portions 4.- The fingers or fins 13 are twisted into spiral form shown'in Figure 2 in order to give the air a swirling motion to break up the current thereof and to increase the length of the path of travel. It is apparent that the. fingers or fins 13 may extend through, the, entire length'oi the passageways 8, or may extend only part way as shown in FigureEZ. Y a

In Figure 3, I have illustrated a front ballie plate 12 with fingers 13 projecting substantially half way of the length of the passagewaysfS with a complementary plate '12 secured at the rear and having its lin gers or fins 13" extending forward.

In Figures 4; to 7 inclusive, T have illustrated the'baiile plates as comprising a single sheet of inetalhaving fins struck up from the plates,fthese fins lying within the pa sageways 8. V i

In Figure 4 the plat-e15 has fins 16 struck up alternately from the metal, along the edges 1.7 and 18, of the strips or portions 19 which lie between the flattened projec- These tins aregiven a twist or are warped to approximate in shape and effect helicoidal, or screw propeller surfaces. The advantages of this czonstruction are ease in manufacture, as the fins ldmay be struck up on a punch press or be otherwise formed by a very simple l'nflligures 6 and 7, I have illustrated a -further modification in which small wings orlins 21. are struck up from the metal at such points that they will lie within the air [passageways 8. These fins are preferably symmetrical and shaped so as to direct the air in a splral whirl wlthin the air passagewaystv, The sheet or plate 20 from which they are struck up remains continuous alongthe strip 22, lying between the flattened pro ections-fl, between ad acent tubes. The

fins 16, shown in Figures 4. and 5, may extend back throughout as much of the. passsageway 8 as is desired; In a similar manner, the fins 21 may be formed along as. much ot'the passageway or tube 8 as is desirable.

in the form shown in Figures 6 and 7, it is also apparent that the rim 21 may be struck up by a very simple operation.

I is apparent that by this construction I have illustrated, a solid and substantial radiator core is formed. The operation of assembling is simple and easy. The water tubestare easily connected together at their ends and connected to. the corresponding headers. The battle plates occupy very little room, bein formed of alight gauge of metal and in addition to their proper function of directing the currents, they also serve as means for conducting the heat from the tubes to the air which. strikes them.

I do not intend to be limited to the precise deta ls of constructionshown or described .1 claim:

- in a radiator, the-combination of a pair oi water tubes having corrugations along their sides :iiacing each other, said coring-a of circularairpassages horizontally extend ing from front to rear, each of said circular air passages having a single, individual bat lie member therein, each of said baffle members comprising a strip of metal twisted in helical form to co-operate with the enclosing circular walls of its respective air passage for rotating the air passing therethrough. V

2. In a radiator, the combination of a pair of water tubes having corrugations along their sides facing each other, said corrugations comprising rounded bottom portions and fiat I projecting portions, said rounded bottoniportions registering to form a plurality of circular air passages extending horizontally from front to rear of said'radiator, baffie means comprising a single sheet of metal having a continuous vertical edge and being provided with a plurality of spaced slots therein terminating adjacent said edge, said spaced slots forming a series of projecting tongues spaced one. from the other, the continuous vertical edge of Said metal sheet being secured between the flat projecting portions or water tubes, said tongues being spaced whereby a single, in

dividual' tongue extends into each of said horizontal air passages to cooperate with the surrounding circular walls of their respective air passages for rotating the air passing therethrough.

3. Ina radiator, the combination of a pair of vertical water tubes having lateral corrugations forming horizontally extending air passages, and battle means in each of said passages comprising fins projecting transversely across said air passages, said fins being shaped to rotate the air outwardly into contact with the surrounding walls of said passages.

4. In a radiator, the combination of a pair of vertical water tubes having corrugations along their sides facing each other, said corrugations comprising rounded bottom portions and flat projecting portions, said rounded bottom portions registering to form a plurality of circular air passages extending horizontally from front to rear of said radiator, a baflle plate interposed between said water tubes and secured between said fiat projecting portions, said baffle plate being formed to provide a co-extensive series of short fins in each of said circular air passages, said fins projecting transversely across said passages and being twisted to spirally rotate the air outwardly into contact with the walls of said passages.

5. In a radiator, the combination with adjacent metallic strips forming complementary parts of a series of air cells, of a metallic sheet arranged between said strips having struck out portions forming spiral deflectors in said air cells.

6. In a radiator, the combination with adjacent metallic strips forming complementary walls of a series of air cells and having portions intermediate said cells parallel to each other, of a metallic sheet arranged between said strips and in contact with the parallel portions thereof with intermediate portions extending diametrically across said cells, the latter portions having struck out wings forming spiral deflectors within the cells and openings through the sheet in the direction of the spiral.

7. In a radiator, the combination with a plurality of water tubes fashioned to form complementary portions of a series of air cells, of a metallic sheet arranged between said tubes extending across said cells, and wings struck out from said sheets fashioned to form spiral vanes-in said cells.

8. In a radiator, the combination with complementary sections of an air cell, of a sheet clamped between said sections extending across said cell, having a portion struck out therefrom to form an obliquely arranged deflector and an aperture for the passage of air to the opposite side of said sheet.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of November, A. D. 1917.

EDGAR P. WOLF. 

